Fire scorches two homes on Northeast Side

Published 10:41 pm, Wednesday, May 7, 2014

SAN ANTONIO — A malfunctioning washing machine may have been the cause of a fire that destroyed a home on the Northeast Side on Wednesday night.

Fire crews called to a home in the 4000 block of Tropical Drive just before 8 p.m. arrived to find heavy fire engulfing the garage of the house and spreading to a neighboring property.

Two people, two dogs and two cats were in the house when the blaze began. The people, a man and a woman, were able to get out of the house before crews arrived, though the woman needed treatment for non-life threatening injuries. The two dogs were removed from the house after the fire had been extinguished, and were given oxygen at a home across the street. Crews were still searching for the two cats.

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The man who escaped the burning home told police he was washing clothes, and noticed a few sparks coming from the washing machine.

SAFD Assistant Chief Robert Mikel said the home where the fire originated would likely be a total loss, with an estimated $75,000 in damage. The neighboring house sustained damage, but crews were working to determine whether its occupants would be able to return Wednesday night.

The American Red Cross was also called to help residents of the destroyed home find a place to stay.